第4章

"No；we"venotimetowaste。I"vegotaplacenearThirdAvenue，onanicecrossstreet，andIwanthimtotakeusthere。"Itprovedthatshehadseveraladdressesneartogether，anditseemedbesttodismisstheircoupeanddotherestoftheirafternoon"sworkonfoot。Itcametonothing；shewasnothumbledintheleastbywhatshehadseeninthetenement-housestreet；sheyieldednopointinheridealofaflat，andtheflatspersistentlyrefusedtolendthemselvestoit。Shelostallpatiencewiththem。

"Oh，Idon"tsaytheflatsareintherightofit，"saidherhusband，whenshedenouncedtheirstupidinadequacytothepurposesofaChristianhome。"ButI"mnotsosurethatweare，either。I"vebeenthinkingaboutthathomebusinesseversincemysensibilitiesweredragged——inacoupe——throughthattenement-housestreet。Ofcourse，nochildbornandbroughtupinsuchaplaceasthatcouldhaveanyconceptionofhome。

Butthat"sbecausethosepoorpeoplecan"tgivecharactertotheirhabitations。Theyhavetotakewhattheycanget。Butpeoplelikeus——

thatis，ofourmeans——dogivecharactertotheaverageflat。It"smadetomeettheirtastes，ortheirsupposedtastes；andsoit"smadeforsocialshow，notforfamilylifeatall。Thinkofababyinaflat!

It"sacontradictioninterms；theflatisthenegationofmotherhood。

Theflatmeanssocietylife；thatis，thepretenceofsociallife。It"smadetogiveartificialpeopleasocietybasisonalittlemoney——toomuchmoney，ofcourse，forwhattheyget。Sothecostofthebuildingisputintomarblehallsandidioticdecorationofallkinds。Idon"t。

objecttotheconveniences，butnoneoftheseflatshasaliving-room。

Theyhavedrawing-roomstofostersocialpretence，andtheyhavedining-

roomsandbedrooms；buttheyhavenoroomwherethefamilycanallcometogetherandfeelthesweetnessofbeingafamily。Thebedroomsareblack-holesmostly，withasinfulwasteofspaceineach。Ifitwerenotforthemarblehalls，andthedecorations，andthefoolishlyexpensivefinish，thehousescouldbebuiltroundacourt，andtheflatscouldbeshapedsomethinglikeaPompeiianhouse，withsmallsleeping-closets——

onlylitfromtheoutside——andtherestofthefloorthrownintotwoorthreelargecheerfulhalls，whereallthefamilylifecouldgoon，andsocietycouldbetransactedunpretentiously。Why，thosetenementsarebetterandhumanerthanthoseflats!Therethewholefamilylivesinthekitchen，andhasitsconsciousnessofbeing；buttheflatabolishesthefamilyconsciousness。It"sconfinementwithoutcoziness；it"sclutteredwithoutbeingsnug。Youcouldn"tkeepaself-respectingcatinaflat；

youcouldn"tgodowncellartogetcider。No!theAnglo-Saxonhome，asweknowitintheAnglo-Saxonhouse，issimplyimpossibleintheFranco-

Americanflat，notbecauseit"shumble，butbecauseit"sfalse。"

"Well，then，"saidMrs。March，"let"slookathouses。"

Hehadbeendenouncingtheflatintheabstract，andhehadnotexpectedthisconcreteresult。Buthesaid，"Wewilllookathouses，then。"

X。

Nothingmystifiesamanmorethanawoman"saberrationsfromsomepointatwhichhe，supposesherfixedasastar。Intheseunfurnishedhouses，withoutsteamorelevator，Marchfollowedhiswifeaboutwithpatientwonder。Sheratherlikedtheworstofthembest:butshemadehimgodownintothecellarsandlookatthefurnaces；sheexactedfromhimarigidinquestoftheplumbing。Shefollowedhimintooneofthecellarsbythefitfulglareofsuccessivelylightedmatches，andtheyenjoyedamomentinwhichtheanomalyoftheirpresencethereonthaterrand，soremotefromallthefactsoftheirlong-establishedlifeinBoston，realizeditselfforthem。

"Thinkhoweasilywemighthavebeenmurderedandnobodybeenanythewiser!"shesaidwhentheywerecomfortablyoutdoorsagain。

"Yes，ormadewaywithourselvesinanaccessofemotionalinsanity，supposedtohavebeeninducedbyunavailingflat-hunting，"hesuggested。

Shefellinwiththenotion。"I"mbeginningtofeelcrazy。ButIdon"twantyoutoloseyourhead，Basil。AndIdon"twantyoutosentimentalizeanyofthethingsyouseeinNewYork。Ithinkyouweredisposedtodoitinthatstreetwedrovethrough。Idon"tbelievethere"sanyrealsuffering——notrealsuffering——amongthosepeople；thatis，itwouldbesufferingfromourpointofview，butthey"vebeenusedtoitalltheirlives，andtheydon"tfeeltheir"discomfortsomuch。"

"Ofcourse，Iunderstandthat，andIdon"tproposetosentimentalizethem。Ithinkwhenpeoplegetusedtoabadstateofthingstheyhadbettersticktoit；infact，theydon"tusuallylikeabetterstatesowell，andIshallkeepthatfirmlyinmind。"

Shelaughedwithhim，andtheywalkedalongtheLbestriddenavenue，exhilaratedbytheirescapefrommurderandsuicideinthatcellar，towardthenearestcrosstowntrack，whichtheymeanttotakehometotheirhotel。"Nowto-nightwewillgotothetheatre，"shesaid，"andgetthiswholehousebusinessoutofourminds，andbeperfectlyfreshforanewstartinthemorning。"Suddenlysheclutchedhisarm。"Why，didyouseethatman?"andshesignedwithherheadtowardadecentlydressedpersonwhowalkedbesidethem，nextthegutter，stoopingoverasiftoexamineit，andhalfhaltingattimes。

"No。What?"

"Why，Isawhimpickupadirtybitofcrackerfromthepavementandcramitintohismouthandeatitdownasifhewerefamished。Andlook!he"sactuallyhuntingformoreinthosegarbageheaps!"

Thiswaswhatthedecent-lookingmanwiththehardhandsandbrokennailsofaworkmanwasdoing-likeahungrydog。Theykeptupwithhim，inthefascinationofthesight，tothenextcorner，whereheturneddownthesidestreetstillsearchingthegutter。

Theywalkedonafewpaces。ThenMarchsaid，"Imustgoafterhim，"andlefthiswifestanding。

"Areyouinwant——hungry?"heaskedtheman。

ThemansaidhecouldnotspeakEnglish，Monsieur。

MarchaskedhisquestioninFrench。

Themanshruggedapitiful，desperateshrug，"Mais，Monsieur——"

Marchputacoininhishand，andthensuddenlytheman"sfacetwistedup；hecaughtthehandofthisalms-giverinbothofhisandclungtoit。

"Monsieur!Monsieur!"hegasped，andthetearsraineddownhisface。

Hisbenefactorpulledhimselfaway，shockedandashamed，asoneisbysuchachance，andgotbacktohiswife，andthemanlapsedbackintothemysteryofmiseryoutofwhichhehademerged。

Marchfeltitlaiduponhimtoconsolehiswifeforwhathadhappened。

"Ofcourse，wemightlivehereforyearsandnotseeanothercaselikethat；and，ofcourse，therearetwentyplaceswherehecouldhavegoneforhelpifhehadknownwheretofindthem。"

"Ah，butit"sthepossibilityofhisneedingthehelpsobadlyasthat，"

sheanswered。"That"swhatIcan"tbear，andIshallnotcometoaplacewheresuchthingsarepossible，andwemayaswellstopourhouse-huntinghereatonce。"

"Yes?AndwhatpartofChristendomwillyoulivein?Suchthingsarepossibleeverywhereinourconditions。"

"Thenwemustchangetheconditions——"

"Ohno；wemustgotothetheatreandforgetthem。WecanstopatBrentano"sforourticketsaswepassthroughUnionSquare。"

"Iamnotgoingtothetheatre，Basil。IamgoinghometoBostonto-

night。Youcanstayandfindaflat。"

Heconvincedheroftheabsurdityofherposition，andevenofitsselfishness；butshesaidthathermindwasquitemadeupirrespectiveofwhathadhappened，thatshehadbeenawayfromthechildrenlongenough；

thatsheoughttobeathometofinishuptheworkofleavingit。Thewordbroughtasigh。"Ah，Idon"tknowwhyweshouldseenothingbutsadanduglythingsnow。Whenwewereyoung——"

"Younger，"heputin。"We"restillyoung。"

"That"swhatwepretend，butweknowbetter。ButIwasthinkinghowprettyandpleasantthingsusedtobeturningupallthetimeonourtravelsintheolddays。Why，whenwewereinNewYorkhereonourweddingjourneytheplacedidn"tseemhalfsodirtyasitdoesnow，andnoneofthesedismalthingshappened。"

"Itwasagooddealdirtier，"heanswered；"andIfancyworseineveryway-hungrier，raggeder，morewretchedlyhoused。Butthatwasn"ttheperiodoflifeforustonoticeit。Don"tyouremember，whenwestartedtoNiagarathelasttime，howeverybodyseemedmiddle-agedandcommonplace；andwhenwegottheretherewerenoevidentbrides；nothingbutelderlymarriedpeople?"

"Atleasttheyweren"tstarving，"sherebelled。

"No，youdon"tstarveinparlor-carsandfirst-classhotels；butifyoustepoutofthemyourunyourchanceofseeingthosewhodo，ifyou"regettingonprettywellintheforties。Ifit"stheunhappywhoseeunhappiness，thinkwhatmiserymustberevealedtopeoplewhopasstheirlivesinthereallysqualidtenement-housestreets——Idon"tmeanpicturesqueavenueslikethatwepassedthrough。"

"Butwearenotunhappy，"sheprotested，bringingthetalkbacktothepersonalbaseagain，aswomenmusttogetanygoodoutoftalk。"We"rereallynounhappierthanwewerewhenwewereyoung。"

"We"remoreserious。"

"Well，Ihateit；andIwishyouwouldn"tbesoserious，ifthat"swhatitbringsusto。"

"Iwillbetrivialfromthison，"saidMarch。"ShallwegototheHoleintheGroundto-night?"

"IamgoingtoBoston。"

"It"smuchthesamething。Howdoyoulikethatfortriviality?It"salittleblasphemous，I"llallow。"

"It"sverysilly，"shesaid。

AtthehoteltheyfoundaletterfromtheagentwhohadsentthemthepermittoseeMrs。GrosvenorGreen"sapartment。Hewrotethatshehadheardtheywerepleasedwithherapartment，andthatshethoughtshecouldmakethetermstosuit。ShehadtakenherpassageforEurope，andwasveryanxioustolettheflatbeforeshesailed。Shewouldcallthateveningatseven。

"Mrs。GrosvenorGreen!"saidMrs。March。"Whichofthetenthousandflatsisit，Basil?"

"Thegimcrackery，"heanswered。"IntheXenophon，youknow。"

"Well，shemaysaveherselfthetrouble。Ishallnotseeher。Oryes——

Imust。Icouldn"tgoawaywithoutseeingwhatsortofcreaturecouldhaveplannedthatfly-awayflat。Shemustbeaperfect——"

"Parachute，"Marchsuggested。

"No!anybodysolightasthatcouldn"tcomedown。"

"Well，toyballoon。"

"Toyballoonwilldoforthepresent，"Mrs。Marchadmitted。"ButIfeelthatnaughtbutherselfcanbeherparallelforvolatility。"

WhenMrs。Grosvenor-Green"scardcameuptheybothdescendedtothehotelparlor，whichMarchsaidlookedlikethesaloonofaMoorishday-boat；

notthatheknewofanysuchcraft，butthedecorationsweresoSaracenicandthearchitecturesoHudsonRiverish。Theyfoundthereonthegrandcentraldivanalargeladywhosevastsmoothness，placidity，andplumpnesssetatdefiancealltheirpreconceptionsofMrs。GrosvenorGreen，sothatMrs。Marchdistinctlypausedwithhercardinherhandbeforeventuringevententativelytoaddressher。Thenshewasastonishedatthelow，calmvoiceinwhichMrs。Greenacknowledgedherself，andslowlyproceededtoapologizeforcalling。ItwasnotquitetruethatshehadtakenherpassageforEurope，butshehopedsoontodoso，andsheconfessedthatinthemeantimeshewasanxioustoletherflat。Shewasalittlewornoutwiththecareofhousekeeping——

Mrs。Marchbreathed，"Ohyes!"inthesighwithwhichladiesrecognizeoneanother"smartyrdom——andMrs。Greenhadbusinessabroad，andshewasgoingtopursueherartstudiesinParis；shedrewinMr。Ilcomb"sclassnow，buttheinstructionwassomuchbetterinParis；andasthesuperintendentseemedtothinkthepricewastheonlyobjection，shehadventuredtocall。

"Thenwedidn"tdeceivehimintheleast，"thoughtMrs。March，whilesheanswered，sweetly:"No；wewereonlyafraidthatitwouldbetoosmallforourfamily。Werequireagoodmanyrooms。"Shecouldnotforegotheopportunityofsaying，"MyhusbandiscomingtoNewYorktotakechargeofaliteraryperiodical，andhewillhavetohavearoomtowritein，"

whichmadeMrs。GreenbowtoMarch，andmadeMarchlooksheepish。"Butwedidthinktheapartmentverycharming"，(Itwasarchitecturallycharming，sheprotestedtoherconscience)，"andweshouldhavebeensogladifwecouldhavegotintoit。"Shefollowedthiswithsomeaccountoftheirhouse-hunting，amidsoftmurmursofsympathyfromMrs。Green，whosaidthatshehadbeenthroughallthat，andthatifshecouldhaveshownherapartmenttothemshefeltsurethatshecouldhaveexplaineditsothattheywouldhaveseenitscapabilitiesbetter，Mrs。Marchassentedtothis，andMrs。Greenaddedthatiftheyfoundnothingexactlysuitableshewouldbegladtohavethemlookatitagain；andthenMrs。

MarchsaidthatshewasgoingbacktoBostonherself，butshewasleavingMr。Marchtocontinuethesearch；andshehadnodoubthewouldbeonlytoogladtoseetheapartmentbydaylight。"Butifyoutakeit，Basil，"

shewarnedhim，whentheywerealone，"Ishallsimplyrenounceyou。I

wouldn"tliveinthatjunk-shopifyougaveittome。Butwhowouldhavethoughtshewasthatkindoflookingperson?ThoughofcourseImighthaveknownifIhadstoppedtothinkonce。It"sbecausetheplacedoesn"texpressheratallthatit"ssounlikeher。Itcouldn"tbelikeanybody，oranythingthatfliesintheair，orcreepsupontheearth，orswimsinthewatersundertheearth。Iwonderwhereintheworldshe"sfrom；she"snoNew-Yorker；evenwecanseethat；andshe"snotquiteacountryperson，either；sheseemslikeapersonfromsomelargetown，whereshe"sbeenanaestheticauthority。Andshecan"tfindgoodenoughartinstructioninNewYork，andhastogotoParisforit!Well，it"spathetic，afterall，Basil。Ican"thelpfeelingsorryforapersonwhomistakesherselftothatextent。"

"Ican"thelpfeelingsorryforthehusbandofapersonwhomistakesherselftothatextent。WhatisMr。GrosvenorGreengoingtodoinPariswhileshe"sworkingherwayintotheSalon?"

"Well，youkeepawayfromherapartment，Basil；that"sallI"vegottosaytoyou。AndyetIdolikesomethingsabouther。"

"Ilikeeverythingaboutherbutherapartment，"saidMarch。

"Ilikehergoingtobeoutofthecountry，"saidhiswife。"Weshouldn"tbeoverlooked。Andtheplacewasprettilyshaped，youcan"tdenyit。Andtherewasanelevatorandsteamheat。Andthelocationisveryconvenient。Andtherewasahall-boytobringupcards。Thehallsandstairswerekeptverycleanandnice。Butitwouldn"tdo。Icouldputyouafoldingbedintheroomwhereyouwrote，andwecouldevenhaveoneintheparlor"

"Behindaportiere?Icouldn"tstandanymoreportieres!"

"Andwecouldsqueezethetwogirlsintooneroom，orperhapsonlybringMargaret，andputoutthewholeofthewash。Basil!"shealmostshrieked，"itisn"ttobethoughtof!"

Heretorted，"I"mnotthinkingofit，mydear。"

FulkersoncameinjustbeforetheystartedforMrs。March"strain，tofindoutwhathadbecomeofthem，hesaid，andtoseewhethertheyhadgotanythingtoliveinyet。

"Notathing，"shesaid。"AndI"mjustgoingbacktoBoston，andleavingMr。Marchheretodoanythinghepleasesaboutit。Hehas"carteblanche。""

"Butfreedombringsresponsibility，youknow，Fulkerson，andit"sthesameasifI"dnochoice。I"mstayingbehindbecauseI"mleft，notbecauseIexpecttodoanything。"

"Isthatso?"askedFulkerson。"Well，wemustseewhatcanbedone。I

supposedyouwouldbeallsettledbythistime，orIshouldhavehumpedmyselftofindyousomething。NoneofthoseplacesIgaveyouamountstoanything?"

"Asmuchasfortythousandotherswe"velookedat，"saidMrs。March。

"Yes，oneofthemdoesamounttosomething。ItcomessonearbeingwhatwewantthatI"vegivenMr。Marchparticularinstructionsnottogonearit。"

ShetoldhimaboutMrs。GrosvenorGreenandherflats，andattheendhesaid:

"Well，well，wemustlookoutforthat。I"llkeepaneyeonhim，Mrs。

March，andseethathedoesn"tdoanythingrash，andIwon"tleavehimtillhe"sfoundjusttherightthing。Itexists，ofcourse；itmustinacityofeighteenhundredthousandpeople，andtheonlyquestioniswheretofindit。Youleavehimtome，Mrs。March；I"llwatchoutforhim。"

Fulkersonshowedsomesignsofgoingtothestationwhenhefoundtheywerenotdriving，butshebadehimaperemptorygood-byeatthehoteldoor。

"He"sverynice，Basil，andhiswaywithyouisperfectlycharming。

It"sverysweettoseehowreallyfondofyouheis。ButIdidn"twanthimstringingalongwithusuptoForty-secondStreetandspoilingourlastmomentstogether。"

AtThirdAvenuetheytooktheElevatedforwhichsheconfessedaninfatuation。Shedeclareditthemostidealwayofgettingaboutintheworld，andwasnotashamedwhenheremindedherofhowsheusedtosaythatnothingunderthesuncouldinducehertotravelonit。Shenowsaidthatthenighttransitwasevenmoreinterestingthantheday，andthatthefleeingintimacyyouformedwithpeopleinsecondandthirdfloorinteriors，whilealltheusualstreetlifewentonunderneath，hadadomesticintensitymixedwithaperfectreposethatwasthelasteffectofgoodsocietywithallitssecurityandexclusiveness。Hesaiditwasbetterthanthetheatre，ofwhichitremindedhim，toseethosepeoplethroughtheirwindows:afamilypartyofwork-folkatalatetea，someofthemenintheirshirt-sleeves；awomansewingbyalamp；amotherlayingherchildinitscradle；amanwithhisheadfallenonhishandsuponatable；agirlandherloverleaningoverthewindow-silltogether。Whatsuggestion!whatdrama?whatinfiniteinterest!AttheForty-secondStreetstationtheystoppedaminuteonthebridgethatcrossesthetracktothebranchroadfortheCentralDepot，andlookedupanddownthelongstretchoftheElevatedtonorthandsouth。Thetrackthatfoundandlostitselfathousandtimesintheflareandtremoroftheinnumerablelights；themoonysheenoftheelectricsmixingwiththereddishpointsandblotsofgasfarandnear；thearchitecturalshapesofhousesandchurchesandtowers，rescuedbytheobscurityfromallthatwasignobleinthem，andthecomingandgoingofthetrainsmarkingthestationswithvividerorfainterplumesofflame-shotsteam-formedanincomparableperspective。Theyoftentalkedafterwardofthesuperbspectacle，whichinacityfullofpaintersnightlyworksitsunrecordedmiracles；andtheywerejusttotheArachneroofspuninironoverthecrossstreetonwhichtheyrantothedepot；butforthepresenttheyweremostlyinarticulatebeforeit。TheyhadanothermomentofrichsilencewhentheypausedinthegallerythatleadsfromtheElevatedstationtothewaiting-roomsintheCentralDepotandlookeddownuponthegreatnighttrainslyingonthetracksdimundertherainofgas-lightsthatstarredwithoutdispersingthevastdarknessoftheplace。Whatforces，whatfates，sleptinthesebulkswhichwouldsoonbehurlingthemselvesnorthandsouthandwestthroughthenight!NowtheywaitedtherelikefabledmonstersofArabstoryreadyforthemagician"stouch，tractable，reckless，will-less——organizedlifelessnessfullofastrangesemblanceoflife。

TheMarchesadmiredtheimpressivesightwithathrillofpatrioticprideinthefactthatthewholeworldperhapscouldnotaffordjustthelike。

Thentheyhurrieddowntotheticket-offices，andhegotheralowerberthintheBostonsleeper，andwentwithhertothecar。Theymadethemostofthefactthatherberthwasintheverymiddleofthecar；andshepromisedtowriteassoonasshereachedhome。Shepromisedalsothat，havingseenthelimitationsofNewYorkinrespecttoflats，shewouldnotbehardonhimifhetooksomethingnotquiteideal。OnlyhemustrememberthatitwasnottobeaboveTwentiethStreetnorbelowWashingtonSquare；itmustnotbehigherthanthethirdfloor；itmusthaveanelevator，steamheat，hail-boys，andapleasantjanitor。Thesewereessentials；ifhecouldnotgetthem，thentheymustdowithout。

Buthemustgetthem。

XI。

Mrs。Marchwasoneofthosewiveswhoexactamorerigidadherencetotheiridealsfromtheirhusbandsthanfromthemselves。Earlyintheirmarriedlifeshehadtakenchargeofhiminallmatterswhichsheconsideredpractical。Shedidnotincludethebusinessofbread-winninginthese；thatwasanaffairthatmightsafelybelefttohisabsent-

minded，dreamyinefficiency，andshedidnotinterferewithhimthere。

Butinsuchthingsasrehangingthepictures，decidingonasummerboarding-place，takingaseasidecottage，repaperingrooms，choosingseatsatthetheatre，seeingwhatthechildrenatewhenshewasnotattable，shuttingthecatoutatnight，keepingrunofcallsandinvitations，andseeingifthefurnacewasdampered，hehadfailedhersooftenthatshefeltshecouldnotleavehimtheslightestdiscretioninregardtoaflat。Hertotaldistrustofhisjudgmentinthematterscitedandotherslikethemconsistedwiththegreatestadmirationofhismindandrespectforhischaracter。Sheoftensaidthatifhewouldonlybringthesetobearinsuchexigencieshewouldbesimplyperfect；butshehadlonggivenuphiseverdoingso。Shesubjectedhim，therefore，toanironcode，butafterproclaimingitshewasapttoabandonhimtothenativelawlessnessofhistemperament。Sheexpectedhiminthiseventtodoashepleased，andsheresignedherselftoitwithconsiderablecomfortinholdinghimaccountable。Helearnedtoexpectthis，andaftersufferingkeenlyfromherdisappointmentwithwhateverhedidhewaitedpatientlytillsheforgothergrievanceandbegantoextractwhatconsolationlurksintheirreparable。Shewouldalmostadmitatmomentsthatwhathehaddonewasaverygoodthing，butshereservedtherighttoreturninfullforcetoheroriginalcondemnationofit；andsheaccumulatedeachactofindependentvolitioninwitnessandwarningagainsthim。Theirmassoppressedbutneverdeterredhim。

Heexpectedtodothewrongthingwhenlefttohisowndevices，andhediditwithoutanyapparentrecollectionofhisformermisdeedsandtheirconsequences。Therewasagooddealofcomedyinitall，andsometragedy。

Henowexperiencedacertainexpansion，suchashusbandsofhiskindwillimagine，ongoingbacktohishotelalone。Itwas，perhaps，arevulsionfromthepainofparting；andhetoyedwiththeideaofMrs。GrosvenorGreen"sapartment，which，initspreposterousunsuitability，hadastrangeattraction。Hefeltthathecouldtakeitwithlessriskthananythingelsetheyhadseen，buthesaidhewouldlookatalltheotherplacesintownfirst。Hereallyspentthegreaterpartofthenextdayinhuntinguptheownerofanapartmentthathadneithersteamheatnoranelevator，butwasotherwiseperfect，andtryingtogethimtotakelessthantheagentasked。Byacuriouspsychicaloperationhewasable，inthetransaction，toworkhimselfintoquiteapassionatedesirefortheapartment，whileheheldtheGrosvenorGreenapartmentinthebackgroundofhismindassomethingthathecouldreturntoasaltogethermoresuitable。Heconductedsomesimultaneousnegotiationforafurnishedhouse，whichenhancedstillmorethedesirabilityoftheGrosvenorGreenapartment。Towardeveninghewentoffatatangentfarup-town，soastobeabletotellhiswifehowutterlypreposterousthebesttherewouldbeascomparedevenwiththisridiculousGrosvenorGreengimcrackery。Itishardtoreporttheprocessesofhissophistication；

perhapsthis，again，maybestbelefttothemaritalimagination。

Herangatthelastoftheseup-townapartmentsasitwasfallingdusk，anditwaslongbeforethejanitorappeared。Thenthemanwasverysurly，andsaidifhelookedattheflatnowhewouldsayitwastoodark，likealltherest。HisreluctanceirritatedMarchinproportiontohisinsincerityinproposingtolookatitatall。Heknewhedidnotmeantotakeitunderanycircumstances；thathewasgoingtousehisinspectionofitindishonestjustificationofhisdisobediencetohiswife；butheputonanairofoffendeddignity。"Ifyoudon"twishtoshowtheapartment，"hesaid，"Idon"tcaretoseeit。"

Themangroaned，forhewasheavy，andnodoubtdreadedthestairs。Hescratchedamatchonhisthigh，andledthewayup。Marchwassorryforhim，andheputhisfingersonaquarterinhiswaistcoat-pockettogivehimatparting。Atthesametime，behadtotrumpupanobjectiontotheflat。Thiswaseasy，foritwasadvertisedascontainingtenrooms，andhefoundthenumberekedoutwiththebath-roomandtwolargeclosets。

"It"slightenough，"saidMarch，"butIdon"tseehowyoumakeouttenrooms"

"There"stenrooms，"saidtheman，deigningnoproof。

Marchtookhisfingersoffthequarter，andwentdown-stairsandoutofthedoorwithoutanotherword。Itwouldbewrong，itwouldbeimpossible，togivethemananythingaftersuchinsolence。Hereflected，withshame，thatitwasalsocheapertopunishthanforgivehim。

Hereturnedtohishotelpreparedforanydesperatemeasure，andconvincednowthattheGrosvenorGreenapartmentwasnotmerelytheonlythingleftforhim，butwas，onitsownmerits，thebestthinginNewYork。

Fulkersonwaswaitingforhiminthereading-room，anditgaveMarchthecuriousthrillwithwhichamancloseswithtemptationwhenhesaid:

"Lookhere!Whydon"tyoutakethatwoman"sflatintheXenophon?She"sbeenattheagentsagain，andthey"vebeenatme。Shelikesyourlook——

orMrs。March"s——andIguessyoucanhaveitataprettyheavydiscountfromtheoriginalprice。I"mauthorizedtosayyoucanhaveitforoneseventy-fiveamonth，andIdon"tbelieveitwouldbesafeforyoutoofferonefifty。"

Marchshookhishead，anddroppedamaskofvirtuousrejectionoverhiscorruptacquiescence。"It"stoosmallforus——wecouldn"tsqueezeintoit。"

"Why，lookhere!"Fulkersonpersisted。"Howmanyroomsdoyoupeoplewant?"

"I"vegottohaveaplacetowork——"

"Ofcourse!Andyou"vegottohaveitattheFifthWheeloffice。"

"Ihadn"tthoughtofthat，"Marchbegan。"IsupposeIcoulddomyworkattheoffice，asthere"snotmuchwriting——"

"Why，ofcourseyoucan"tdoyourworkathome。Youjustcomeroundwithmenow，andlookatthatagain。"

"No；Ican"tdoit。"

"Why?"

"I——I"vegottodine。"

"Allright，"saidFulkerson。"Dinewithme。IwanttotakeyouroundtoalittleItalianplacethatIknow。"

OnemaytracethesuccessivestepsofMarch"sdescentinthissimplematterwiththesameedificationthatwouldattendthestudyoftheself-

delusionsandobfuscationsofamantemptedtocrime。Theprocessisprobablynotatalldifferent，andtothephilosophicalmindthekindofresultisunimportant；theprocessiseverything。

Fulkersonledhimdownoneblockandhalfacrossanothertothestepsofasmalldwelling-house，transformed，likemanyothers，intoarestaurantoftheLatinideal，withlittleornostructuralchangefromthepatternofthelowermiddle-classNewYorkhome。Therewerethecorrodedbrownstonesteps，themeanlittlefrontdoor，andthecrampedentrywithitsnarrowstairsbywhichladiescouldgouptoadining-roomappointedforthemonthesecondfloor；theparlorsonthefirstweresetaboutwithtables，wheremensmokedcigarettesbetweenthecourses，andasinglewaiterranswiftlytoandfrowithplatesanddishes，and，exchangedunintelligibleoutcrieswithacookbeyondaslideinthebackparlor。Herushedatthenew-comers，brushedthesoiledtable-clothbeforethemwithatowelonhisarm，covereditsworststainswithanapkin，andbroughtthem，intheirorder，thevermicellisoup，thefriedfish，thecheese-strewnspaghetti，thevealcutlets，thetepidroastfowlandsalad，andthewizenedpearandcoffeewhichformthedinneratsuchplaces。

"Ah，thisisnice!"saidFulkerson，afterthelayingofthecharitablenapkin，andhebegantorecognizeacquaintances，someofwhomhedescribedtoMarchasyoungliterarymenandartistswithwhomtheyshouldprobablyhavetodo；othersweresimplyfrequentersoftheplace，andwereofallnationalitiesandreligionsapparently——atleast，severalwereHebrewsandCubans。"YougetaprettygoodsliceofNewYorkhere，"

hesaid，"allexceptthefrostingontop。Thatyouwon"tfindmuchatMaroni"s，thoughyouwilloccasionally。Idon"tmeantheladiesever，ofcourse。"Theladiespresentseemedharmlessandreputable-lookingpeopleenough，butcertainlytheywerenotofthefirstfashion，and，exceptinafewinstances，notAmericans。"It"slikecuttingstraightdownthroughafruitcake，"Fulkersonwenton，"oramince-pie，whenyoudon"tknowwhomadethepie；yougetalittleofeverything。"HeorderedasmallflaskofChiantiwiththedinner，anditcameinitsprettywickerjacket。Marchsmileduponitwithtenderreminiscence，andFulkersonlaughed。"Lightsyouupalittle。IbroughtoldDryfooshereoneday，andhethoughtitwassweet-oil；that"sthekindofbottletheyusedtohaveitinatthecountrydrug-stores。"

"Yes，Iremembernow；butI"dtotallyforgottenit，"saidMarch。

"Howfarbackthatgoes!Who"sDryfoos?"

"Dryfoos?"Fulkerson，stillsmiling，toreoffapieceofthehalf-yardofFrenchloafwhichhadbeensuppliedthem，withtwopale，thindisksofbutter，andfeditintohimself。"OldDryfoos?Well，ofcourse!Icallhimold，butheain"tsovery。Aboutfifty，oralongthere。"

"No，"saidMarch，"thatisn"tveryold——ornotsooldasitusedtobe。"

"Well，Isupposeyou"vegottoknowabouthim，anyway，"saidFulkerson，thoughtfully。"AndI"vebeenwonderingjusthowIshouldtellyou。

Can"talwaysmakeoutexactlyhowmuchofaBostonianyoureallyare!

Everbeenoutinthenatural-gascountry?"

"No，"saidMarch。"I"vehadagooddealofcuriosityaboutit，butI"veneverbeenabletogetawayexceptinsummer，andthenwealwayspreferredtogoovertheoldground，outtoNiagaraandbackthroughCanada，theroutewetookonourweddingjourney。Thechildrenlikeitasmuchaswedo。"

"Yes，yes，"saidFulkerson。"Well，thenatural-gascountryisworthseeing。Idon"tmeanthePittsburggas-fields，butoutinNorthernOhioandIndianaaroundMoffitt——that"stheplaceintheheartofthegasregionthatthey"vebeenboomingso。Yes，yououghttoseethatcountry。

Ifyouhaven"tbeenWestforagoodmanyyears，youhaven"tgotanyideahowoldthecountrylooks。Yourememberhowthefieldsusedtobeallfullofstumps?"

"Ishouldthinkso。"

"Well，youwon"tseeanystumpsnow。AllthatcountryoutaroundMoffittisjustassmoothasachecker-board，andlooksasoldasEngland。Youknowhowweusedtoburnthestumpsout；andthensomebodyinventedastump-extractor，andwepulledthemoutwithayokeofoxen。Nowtheyjusttouch"emoffwithalittledynamite，andthey"vegotacellardugandfilledupwithkindlingreadyforhousekeepingwheneveryouwantit。

Onlytheyhaven"tgotanyuseforkindlinginthatcountry——allgas。

Irodealongonthecarsthroughthoselevelblackfieldsatcorn-

plantingtime，andeveryonceinawhileI"dcometoaplacewithapieceofraggedoldstove-pipestickin"upoutoftheground，andblazingawaylikeforty，andafellowploughingallrounditandnotmindingitanymorethanifitwasspringviolets。Horsesdidn"tnoticeit，either。

Well，they"vealwaysknownaboutthegasoutthere；theysaythereareplacesinthewoodswhereit"sbeenburningeversincethecountrywassettled。

"ButwhenyoucomeinsightofMoffitt——my，oh，my!Well，youcomeinsmellofitaboutassoon。Thatgasoutthereain"todorless，likethePittsburggas，andsoit"sperfectlysafe；butthesmellisn"tbad——aboutasbadasthefinestkindofbenzine。Well，thefirstthingthatstrikesyouwhenyoucometoMoffittisthenotionthattherehasbeenagoodwarm，growingrain，andthetown"scomeupovernight。That"sinthesuburbs，theannexes，andadditions。Butitain"tshabby——noshanty-farmbusiness；nicebrickandframehouses，someof"emQueenAnnestyle，andallof"emlookingasiftheyhadcometostay。Andwhenyoudriveupfromthedepotyouthinkeverybody"smoving。Everythingseemstobepiledintothestreet；oldhousesmadeover，andnewonesgoingupeverywhere。YouknowthekindofstreetMainStreetalwaysusedtobeinoursection——halfplank-roadandturnpike，andtherestmud-hole，andalotofstoresanddoggeriesstrungalongwithfalsefrontsastoryhigherthantheback，andhereandthereadecentbuildingwiththegableendtothepublic；andacourt-houseandjailandtwotavernsandthreeorfourchurches。Well，they"reallthereinMoffittyet，butarchitecturehasstruckithard，andthey"vegotalotofnewbuildingsthatneedn"tbeashamedofthemselvesanywhere；thenewcourt-houseisasbigasSt。

Peter"s，andtheGrandOpera-houseisinthehigheststyleoftheart。

Youcan"tbuyalotonthatstreetformuchlessthanyoucanbuyalotinNewYork——oryoucouldn"twhentheboomwason；Isawtheplacejustwhentheboomwasinitsprime。lwentouttheretoworkthenewspapersinthesyndicatebusiness，andIgotoneoftheirmentowritemearealbright，snappyaccountofthegas；andtheyjusttookmeintheirarmsandshowedmeeverything。Well，itwaswonderful，anditwasbeautiful，too!Toseeawholecommunitystirreduplikethatwas——justlikeabigboy，allhopeandhighspirits，andnodiscountontheremotestfuture；

nothingbutperpetualboomtotheendoftime——Itellyouitwarmedyourblood。Why，thereweresomethingsaboutitthatmadeyouthinkwhatanicekindofworldthiswouldbeifpeopleevertookholdtogether，insteadofeachfellowfightingitoutonhisownhook，anddeviltakethehindmost。TheymadeuptheirmindsatMoffittthatiftheywantedtheirtowntogrowthey"dgottokeeptheirgaspublicproperty。Sotheyextendedtheircorporationlinesoastotakeinprettymuchthewholegasregionroundthere；andthenthecitytookpossessionofeverywellthatwasputdown，andhelditforthecommongood。Anybodythat"samindtocometoMoffittandstartanykindofmanufacturecanhaveallthegashewantsfree；andforfifteendollarsayearyoucanhaveallthegasyouwanttoheatandlightyourprivatehouse。Thepeopleholdontoitforthemselves，and，asIsay，it"sagrandsighttoseeawholecommunityhangingtogetherandworkingforthegoodofall，insteadofsplittingupintoasmanydifferentcut-throatsasthereareable-bodiedcitizens。Seethatfellow?"Fulkersonbrokeoff，andindicatedwithatwirlofhisheadashort，dark，foreign-lookingmangoingoutofthedoor。"Theysaythatfellow"saSocialist。Ithinkit"sashamethey"reallowedtocomehere。Iftheydon"tlikethewaywemanageouraffairslet"emstayathome，"Fulkersoncontinued。"Theydoalotofmischief，shootingofftheirmouthsroundhere。Ibelieveinfreespeechandallthat；butI"dliketoseethesefellowsshutupinjailandlefttojawoneanothertodeath。Wedon"twantanyoftheirpoison。"

MarchdidnotnoticethevanishingSocialist。Hewaswatching，withateasingsenseoffamiliarity，atall，shabbilydressed，elderlyman，whohadjustcomein。HehadtheaquilineprofileuncommonamongGermans，andyetMarchrecognizedhimatonceasGerman。Hislong，softbeardandmustachehadoncebeenfair，andtheykeptsometoneoftheiryellowinthegraytowhichtheyhadturned。Hiseyeswerefull，andhislipsandchinshapedthebeardtothenobleoutlinewhichshowsinthebeardstheItalianmasterslikedtopaintfortheirLastSuppers。Hiscarriagewaserectandsoldierly，andMarchpresentlysawthathehadlosthislefthand。Hetookhisplaceatatablewheretheoverworkedwaiterfoundtimetocutuphismeatandputeverythingineasyreachofhisrighthand。

"Well，"Fulkersonresumed，"theytookmeroundeverywhereinMoffitt，andshowedmetheirbigwells——lit"emupforaprivateview，andletmehearthempurrwiththesoftaccentsofamass-meetingoflocomotives。Why，whentheyletoneofthesewellslooseinameadowthatthey"dpipeditintotemporarily，itdrovetheflameawayfortyfeetfromthemouthofthepipeandblewitoverhalfanacreofground。Theysaywhentheyletoneoftheirbigwellsburnawayallwinterbeforetheyhadlearnedhowtocontrolit，thatwellkeptupalittlesummerallaroundit；thegrassstayedgreen，andtheflowersbloomedallthroughthewinter。Idon"tknowwhetherit"ssoornot。ButIcanbelieveanythingofnaturalgas。

My!butitwasbeautifulwhentheyturnedonthefullforceofthatwellandshotaromancandleintothegas——that"sthewaytheylightit——andaplumeoffireabouttwentyfeetwideandseventy-fivefeethigh，allredandyellowandviolet，jumpedintothesky，andthatbigroarshookthegroundunderyourfeet!Youfeltlikesaying:

"Don"ttroubleyourself；I"mperfectlyconvinced。IbelieveinMoffitt。"

We-e-e-ll!"drawledFulkerson，withalongbreath，"that"swhereImetoldDryfoos。"

"Ohyes!——Dryfoos，"saidMarch。Heobservedthatthewaiterhadbroughttheoldone-handedGermanatoweringglassofbeer。

"Yes，"Fulkersonlaughed。"We"vegotroundtoDryfoosagain。IthoughtIcouldcutalongstoryshort，butIseemtobecuttingashortstorylong。Ifyou"renotinahurry，though——"

"Notintheleast。Goonaslongasyoulike。"

"Imethimthereintheofficeofareal-estateman——speculator，ofcourse；everybodywas，inMoffitt；butafirst-ratefellow，andpublic-

spiritedasallget-out；andwhenDryfooslefthetoldmeabouthim。

DryfooswasanoldPennsylvaniaDutchfarmer，aboutthreeorfourmilesoutofMoffitt，andhe"dlivedthereprettymuchallhislife；fatherwasoneofthefirstsettlers。Everybodyknewhehadtherightstuffinhim，buthewasslowerthanmolassesinJanuary，likethosePennsylvaniaDutch。He"dgottogetherthelargestandhandsomestfarmanywherearoundthere；andhewasmakingmoneyonit，justlikehewasinsomebusinesssomewhere；hewasaveryintelligentman；hetookthepapersandkepthimselfposted；buthewasawfullyold-fashionedinhisideas。Hehungontothedoctrinesaswellasthedollarsofthedads；itwasarealthingwithhim。Well，whentheboombegantocomehehateditawfully，andhefoughtit。HeusedtowritecommunicationstotheweeklynewspaperinMoffitt——they"vegotthreedailiestherenow——andthrowcoldwaterontheboom。Hecouldn"tcatchonnoway。Itmadehimsicktoheartheclackthatwentonaboutthegasthewholewhile，andthatstirreduptheneighborhoodandgotintohisfamily。Wheneverhe"dhearofamanthathadbeenofferedabigpriceforhislandandwasgoingtoselloutandmoveintotown，he"dgoandlaborwithhimandtrytotalkhimoutofit，andtellhimhowlonghisfifteenortwentythousandwouldlasthimtoliveon，andshaketheStandardOilCompanybeforehim，andtrytomakehimbelieveitwouldn"tbefiveyearsbeforetheStandardownedthewholeregion。

"Ofcourse，hecouldn"tdoanythingwiththem。Whenaman"sofferedabigpriceforhisfarm，hedon"tcarewhetherit"sbyasecretemissaryfromtheStandardOilornot；he"sgoingtosellandgetthebetteroftheotherfellowifhecan。Dryfooscouldn"tkeeptheboomoutofhasownfamilyeven。Hiswifewaswithhim。ShethoughtwhateverhesaidanddidwasjustasrightasifithadbeenthundereddownfromSinai。

Buttheyoungfolksweresceptical，especiallythegirlsthathadbeenawaytoschool。Theboythathadbeenkeptathomebecausehecouldn"tbesparedfromhelpinghisfathermanagethefarmwasmorelikehim，buttheycontrivedtostirtheboyup——withthehotendoftheboom，too。

SowhenafellowcamealongonedayandofferedoldDryfoosacoolhundredthousandforhisfarm，itwasallupwithDryfoos。He"d"a"

likedto"a"kepttheoffertohimselfandnotdoneanythingaboutit，buthisvanitywouldn"tlethimdothat；andwhenheletitoutinhisfamilythegirlsoutvotedhim。Theyjustmadehimsell。

"Hewouldn"tsellall。Hekeptabouteightyacresthatwasoffinsomepiecebyitself，butthethreehundredthathadtheoldbrickhouseonit，andthebigbarn——thatwent，andDryfoosboughthimaplaceinMoffittandmovedintotowntoliveontheinterestofhismoney。JustWhathehadscoldedandridiculedeverybodyelsefordoing。Well，theysaythatatfirstheseemedlikehewouldgocrazy。Hehadn"tanythingtodo。Hetookafancytothatland-agent，andheusedtogoandsetinhisofficeandaskhimwhatheshoulddo。"Ihain"tgotanyhorses，I

hain"tgotanycows，Ihain"tgotanypigs，Ihain"tgotanychickens。

Ihain"tgotanythingtodofromsun-uptosun-down。"Thefellowsaidthetearsusedtorundowntheoldfellow"scheeks，andifhehadn"tbeensobusyhimselfhebelievedheshould"a"cried，too。Butmosto"peoplethoughtoldDryfooswasdowninthemouthbecausehehadn"taskedmoreforhisfarm，whenhewantedtobuyitbackandfoundtheyhelditatahundredandfiftythousand。Peoplecouldn"tbelievehewasjusthomesickandheartsickfortheoldplace。Well，perhapshewassorryhehadn"taskedmore；that"shumannature，too。

"Afterawhilesomethinghappened。Thatland-agentusedtotellDryfoostogetouttoEuropewithhismoneyandseelifealittle，orgoandliveinWashington，wherehecouldbesomebody；butDryfooswouldn"t，andhekeptlisteningtothetalkthere，andallofasuddenhecaughton。Hecameintothatfellow"sonedaywithaplanforcuttinguptheeightyacreshe"dkeptintotownlots；andhe"dgotitallplottedoutso-well，andhadsomanypracticalideasaboutit，thatthefellowwasastonished。

Hewentrightinwithhim，asfarasDryfooswouldlethim，andgladofthechance；andtheywereworkingthethingforallitwasworthwhenI

struckMoffitt。OldDryfooswantedmetogooutandseetheDryfoos&

HendryAddition——guesshethoughtmaybeI"dwriteitup；andhedrovemeouttherehimself。Well，itwasfunnytoseeatownmade:streetsdriventhrough；tworowsofshadetrees，hardandsoft，planted；cellarsdugandhousesputup-regularQueenAnnestyle，too，withstainedglass-allatonce。Dryfoosapologizedforthestreetsbecausetheywerehand-made；

saidtheyexpectedtheirstreet-makingmachineTuesday，andthentheyintendedtopushthings。"

FulkersonenjoyedtheeffectofhispictureonMarchforamoment，andthenwenton:"Hewasmightyintelligent，too，andhequestionedmeupaboutmybusinessassharpasIeverwasquestioned；seemedtokindofstrikehisfancy；Iguesshewantedtofindoutiftherewasanymoneyinit。Hewasmakingmoney，handoverhand，then；andheneverstoppedspeculatingandimprovingtillhe"dscrapedtogetherthreeorfourhundredthousanddollars，theysaidamillion，buttheylikeroundnumbersatMoffitt，andIguesshalfamillionwouldlayoveritcomfortablyandleaveafewthousandstospare，probably。ThenhecameontoNewYork。"

Fulkersonstruckamatchagainsttheribbedsideoftheporcelaincupthatheldthematchesinthecentreofthetable，andlitacigarette，whichhebegantosmoke，throwinghisheadbackwithaleisurelyeffect，asifhehadgottotheendofatleastasmuchofhisstoryashemeanttotellwithoutprompting。

Marchaskedhimthedesiredquestion。"Whatintheworldfor?"

Fulkersontookouthiscigaretteandsaid，withasmile:"Tospendhismoney，andgethisdaughtersintotheoldKnickerbockersociety。MaybehethoughttheywereallthesamekindofDutch。"

"Andhashesucceeded?"

"Well，they"renotsocialleadersyet。Butit"sonlyaquestionoftime——generationortwo——especiallyiftime"smoney，andifEveryOtherWeekisthesuccessit"sboundtobe。"

"Youdon"tmeantosay，Fulkerson，"saidMarch，withahalf-doubting，half-dauntedlaugh，"thathe"syourAngel?"

"That"swhatImeantosay，"returnedFulkerson。"IranontohiminBroadwayonedaylastsummer。Ifyoueversawanybodyinyourlife；

you"resuretomeethiminBroadwayagain，soonerorlater。That"sthephilosophyofthebuncobusiness；countrypeoplefromthesameneighborhoodaresuretorunupagainsteachotherthefirsttimetheycometoNewYork。Iputoutmyhand，andIsaid，"Isn"tthisMr。DryfoosfromMoffitt?"Hedidn"tseemtohaveanyuseformyhand；heletmekeepit，andhesquaredthoseoldlipsofhistillhisimperialstuckstraightout。EverseeBernhardtin"L"Etrangere"?Well，theAmericanhusbandisoldDryfoosallover；nomustache；andhay-coloredchin-

whiskerscutslantingfrozethecornersofhismouth。Hecockedhislittlegrayeyesatme，andsayshe:"Yes，youngman；mynameisDryfoos，andI"mfromMoffitt。ButIdon"twantnopresentofLongfellow"sWorks，illustrated；andIdon"twanttotastenofineteas；butIknowapolicemanthatdoes；andifyou"rethesonofmyoldfriendSquireStrohfeldt，you"dbettergetout。""Well，then，"saidI，"howwouldyouliketogointothenewspapersyndicatebusiness?"Hegaveanotherlookatme，andthenheburstoutlaughing，andhegrabbedmyhand，andhejustfrozetoit。Ineversawanybodysoglad。

"Well，thelongandtheshortofitwasthatIaskedhimroundheretoMaroni"stodinner；andbeforewebrokeupforthenightwehadsettledthefinancialsideoftheplanthat"sbroughtyoutoNewYork。Icansee，"tsaidFulkerson，whohadkepthiseyesfastonMarch"sface，"thatyoudon"tmorethanhalfliketheideaofDryfoos。Itoughttogiveyoumoreconfidenceinthethingthanyoueverhad。Youneedn"tbeafraid，"

headded，withsomefeeling，"thatItalkedDryfoosintothethingformyownadvantage。"

"Oh，mydearFulkerson!"Marchprotested，allthemoreferventlybecausehewasreallyalittleguilty。